Executives from Amazon MGM are no closer to revealing who is lined up for the coveted role, saying, ‘We’re taking the time to do this with care and deep respect’ The new James Bond studio heads have attempted to calm fans about who will play the British spy in the new film. Speaking at trade show CinemaCon in the US on Wednesday, executives from Amazon MGM studios – which bought the series rights ...
Executives from Amazon MGM are no closer to revealing who is lined up for the coveted role, saying, ‘We’re taking the time to do this with care and deep respect’ The new James Bond studio heads have attempted to calm fans about who will play the British spy in the new film. Speaking at trade show CinemaCon in the US on Wednesday, executives from Amazon MGM studios – which bought the series rights as part of an $8.45bn (£6.9bn) deal in 2022 – indicated that an abundance of caution on their part meant the role was not yet cast. Continue reading...
Achieve Life Sciences ( ACHV ) on Thursday said it has entered into a securities purchase agreement for a private placement that could raise up to about $354 million in gross proceeds. The financing includes an upfront investment of about $180 million, with up to an additional $174 million tied to the exercise of milestone-based warrants. Proceeds will be used to fund a Phase 3 trial of its smokin...
Achieve Life Sciences ( ACHV ) on Thursday said it has entered into a securities purchase agreement for a private placement that could raise up to about $354 million in gross proceeds. The financing includes an upfront investment of about $180 million, with up to an additional $174 million tied to the exercise of milestone-based warrants. Proceeds will be used to fund a Phase 3 trial of its smoking cessation drug candidate cytisinicline for e-cigarette use, support commercialization efforts, and for general corporate purposes. The private placement is expected to close on April 17, subject to customary conditions. ACHV +9.01% premarket to $3.87. Source: Press Release More on Achieve Life Sciences Achieve Life Sciences: The Recent Sell-Off Skews The Outcomes Achieve Life Sciences: Maintaining 'Buy' On Upcoming PDUFA And Expansion Into Vaping Cessation Achieve Life Sciences, Inc. (ACHV) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript Achieve Life Sciences outlines first half 2027 cytisinicline launch supported by U.S. manufacturing shift and AI-driven commercialization Seeking Alpha’s Quant Rating on Achieve Life Sciences
jetcityimage/iStock Editorial via Getty Images It’s been around a year since my first article on PPG Industries, Inc. ( PPG ), so there is no better time to look at the company’s FY25 performance and what is still in store for 2026. Briefly on Performance For the first half of 2025, the company struggled to grow its top line. FX headwinds, as well as divestitures , affected the company’s performan...
jetcityimage/iStock Editorial via Getty Images It’s been around a year since my first article on PPG Industries, Inc. ( PPG ), so there is no better time to look at the company’s FY25 performance and what is still in store for 2026. Briefly on Performance For the first half of 2025, the company struggled to grow its top line. FX headwinds, as well as divestitures , affected the company’s performance throughout the first two quarters. From the third quarter onwards, the previous divestitures were out of the way, with organic sales rising by over 2%, pushed higher by stronger aerospace, protective, and marine demand. The last quarter of the year was particularly good, with 5% growth y/y, 3% organic growth, with higher selling prices and sales volumes across all regions. Seeking Alpha Over the last year, the company’s profitability took a dip, unfortunately. Global architectural coatings was the biggest drag early in the year, with Q1 sales down due to FX and lower volumes, with EBITDA margins falling to 16.8% from 19.9%. Another drag in Q1 was the Industrial coatings segment, with EBITDA decreasing by 90bps. The segment that slightly helped offset the weakness was the Performance coating segment, which not only maintained its EBITDA, but even increased it by 20bps. Q2 showed very similar performance across the segments. It’s only in Q4 that we see a marked improvement once again in the two underperforming segments, but nothing comes easy, as the Performance Coatings segment saw a decent dip in profitability. Segment’s EBITDA went from 23.1% to 21.1%. Automotive was the culprit behind the underperformance. Overall, FY25 saw around 80bps decrease in profitability. Seeking Alpha Looking at other key profitability metrics, we can see that, with the decent boost in the bottom line, PPG’s efficiency has vastly improved as well, as evidenced by an increase across all three metrics below. The management is much more efficient at utilizing the company’s assets, as well as shar...
Pixelbizz/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Prologis ( PLD ) stock was gaining after the industrial REIT reported first-quarter earnings that exceeded the average analyst estimate and raised the 2026 guidance to above consensus at the midpoint. "We delivered record lease signings of 64M square feet in our logistics business this quarter, reflecting the strength of our platform and resilient custom...
Pixelbizz/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Prologis ( PLD ) stock was gaining after the industrial REIT reported first-quarter earnings that exceeded the average analyst estimate and raised the 2026 guidance to above consensus at the midpoint. "We delivered record lease signings of 64M square feet in our logistics business this quarter, reflecting the strength of our platform and resilient customer demand," said CEO Daniel Letter. "We also advanced our data center platform with $1.3B of build-to-suit development starts, and we are scaling digital infrastructure and energy to support our next phase of growth," said Letter. Shares were 1.99% higher at $142.55 during Thursday's pre-market trading. The company reported Q1 core FFO of $1.50, which exceeds the S&P Cap IQ consensus estimate by $0.01. Revenue of $2.3B (+7.5% Y/Y) beats by $180M. Adjusted EBITDA was $2.18B in Q1, up from $1.77B in the prior-year period. Occupancy stood at 95.3% at the end of the first quarter. Average occupancy came in at the same level. "Even amid an uncertain geopolitical environment, this combination of strong execution and capital strength underpins our increased core FFO outlook," said CFO Timothy Arndt. Prologis now expects its 2026 core FFO to be in the range of $6.07 to $6.23, revised from the prior guidance of $6.00 to $6.20. The current guidance is higher by $0.02 at the midpoint from the consensus estimate of $6.13. Average occupancy guidance range has been narrowed to 95.00%-95.75% from 94.75%-95.75%. Earnings call is scheduled for 12:00 PM ET today. More on Prologis After A Massive Rally, The Easy Money May Be Gone - Prologis Prologis, Inc. (PLD) Presents at 47th Annual Raymond James Institutional Investor Conference Transcript Prologis, Inc. (PLD) Presents at Citi's Miami Global Property CEO Conference 2026 Transcript Prologis FFO of $1.52 beats by $0.03, revenue of $2.3B beats by $180M Prologis Q1 2026 Earnings Preview
Japan has pledged US$10 billion to its Asian neighbours in energy support, in what analysts say is a strategic bid to counter China’s regional influence and position itself as a reliable partner as the Iran war upends global oil markets and supply chains. However, one observer argued that the move’s impact might be limited, given Japan’s inability to alter the ground realities in the Middle East a...
Japan has pledged US$10 billion to its Asian neighbours in energy support, in what analysts say is a strategic bid to counter China’s regional influence and position itself as a reliable partner as the Iran war upends global oil markets and supply chains. However, one observer argued that the move’s impact might be limited, given Japan’s inability to alter the ground realities in the Middle East and Southeast Asian countries’ instinct for strategic hedging over picking sides. Unveiled by...
A wave of companies, from the start-up launched by artificial intelligence “godmother” Li Fei-Fei to the largest Chinese tech firms, are racing to introduce their latest approaches to world models – an emerging field aimed at extending AI beyond language processing to learning from and comprehending physical reality. Alibaba Group Holding on Thursday unveiled Happy Oyster, which it called an open-...
A wave of companies, from the start-up launched by artificial intelligence “godmother” Li Fei-Fei to the largest Chinese tech firms, are racing to introduce their latest approaches to world models – an emerging field aimed at extending AI beyond language processing to learning from and comprehending physical reality. Alibaba Group Holding on Thursday unveiled Happy Oyster, which it called an open-ended world model designed for real-time and “flowy” virtual world creation and interaction,...
Trade tensions between the US and China have made companies around the world less keen to invest in either country, with the United States almost twice as unpopular, according to a new report from Allianz Trade. The report, based on an annual survey by the Paris-based international insurance company, said US-China decoupling had not materialised, but investment intention towards China had dropped ...
Trade tensions between the US and China have made companies around the world less keen to invest in either country, with the United States almost twice as unpopular, according to a new report from Allianz Trade. The report, based on an annual survey by the Paris-based international insurance company, said US-China decoupling had not materialised, but investment intention towards China had dropped “significantly” to 24 per cent of survey respondents, down from 53 per cent a year ago. The survey...
Slash Financial Inc. , a financial services startup run by two 24-year-old founders, has landed a $1.4 billion valuation for its mission to take on larger players like Ramp Inc. and Brex. Slash Financial raised $100 million in the new funding round, the company plans to announce Thursday. Ribbit Capital led the deal, with Khosla Ventures and existing investor Goodwater Capital joining as co-leads....
Slash Financial Inc. , a financial services startup run by two 24-year-old founders, has landed a $1.4 billion valuation for its mission to take on larger players like Ramp Inc. and Brex. Slash Financial raised $100 million in the new funding round, the company plans to announce Thursday. Ribbit Capital led the deal, with Khosla Ventures and existing investor Goodwater Capital joining as co-leads. Slash Chief Executive Officer Victor Cardenas and Chief Technology Officer Kevin Bai , dropped out of college at 19 years old to launch the digital banking business. Five years later, Slash is generating nearly $300 million in annualized revenue, Cardenas said, tripling its sales from a year ago. The startup offers banking and financial services such as checking accounts and expense management, especially for small businesses and solo entrepreneurs. It also offers features that are tailored to specific industries from medical spas to construction companies. For example, Slash works with electronics wholesalers based in the US who sell their products internationally, Cardenas said. The startup’s platform lets those businesses send and receive payments using stablecoins. Alongside the new financing, Slash is also releasing an AI financial agent, which users can direct to carry out any action they’d otherwise be able to do themselves on the platform, Cardenas said. It’s a step toward a new, AI-dominated future of banking, the CEO said. “We’re going to be living in a world where every consumer and every business owner has a world-class chief of staff sitting in their pocket.” Slash operates in a crowded fintech industry, alongside corporate spending platforms like Ramp, which hit a $32 billion valuation in November , and Brex, which Capital One Financial Corp. agreed to acquire in January for $5.1 billion . (Khosla Ventures is also an investor in Ramp, while Ribbit Capital invested early in Brex.) Closer competitors such as the neobank Mercury Technologies Inc. are designed sp...
ZE14361/iStock via Getty Images OBDC Finally Started To Show Signs Of Life On a weekly timeframe, we're currently seeing a massive rebound (8-9% rise for BDC stock is massive) in Blue Owl Capital Corporation ( OBDC ) stock off its long-term support zone. TrendSpider Software, OBDC weekly, Oakoff's notes added And it looks like the first major sign that OBDC, and most other names related to private...
ZE14361/iStock via Getty Images OBDC Finally Started To Show Signs Of Life On a weekly timeframe, we're currently seeing a massive rebound (8-9% rise for BDC stock is massive) in Blue Owl Capital Corporation ( OBDC ) stock off its long-term support zone. TrendSpider Software, OBDC weekly, Oakoff's notes added And it looks like the first major sign that OBDC, and most other names related to private credit, have already priced in most negatives. In my previous article on OBDC, I've already discussed the main reasons for its repricing to the downside, among which we had the cancelled merger between OBDC and OBDC II, the liquidity squeeze at OBDC's non-traded retail sister fund (the same OBDC II), and, of course, the broader sector's weakness in front of the $21 billion "maturity wall" in early 2026. The market panicked, and this panic spread across the board, driving down OBDC well below its long-term usual NAV discount. However, I don't see a major negative shift in OBDC's business operations. In Q4, in the BDC's latest reporting quarter, we saw an adjusted NII (net investment income) of $0.36, which was consistent with the previous reporting quarter. The NAV per share came in at $14.81, and while it was slightly below the $14.89 we saw in Q3, the market's narrative and the resulting sell-off before the Q4 print seemed to have been pricing in a much heavier hit to the firm's NAV. The actual dip in OBDC's NAV was due to credit-related markdowns on a small handful of watchlist names, and there was nothing extraordinarily negative because these days it has become a norm. On the positive side, we saw that OBDC's underlying credit quality actually improved, with investments on non-accrual dropping to ~1.1% at fair value (down from 1.3% in Q3). Also, in February 2026, OBDC managed to sell $1.4 billion of direct lending investments to other institutions to get the much-needed liquidity for its investors, and the sale came in at an average price of 99.7% of par, which isn't s...
Li Auto (LI) has received quite a bit of attention from Zacks.com users lately. Therefore, it is wise to be aware of the facts that can impact the stock's prospects.
Li Auto (LI) has received quite a bit of attention from Zacks.com users lately. Therefore, it is wise to be aware of the facts that can impact the stock's prospects.
In prison, I witnessed the gap in accountability between the poor and the elite. A banker’s message to Epstein is racist and reductive Here is an email that should bring shame to Jes Staley: you want to know why we are not São Paolo, watch the TV adds on the Superbowl. Its all about hip blacks in hip cars with white women. The group that should be in the streets, has been bought off. By Jay Z Cont...
In prison, I witnessed the gap in accountability between the poor and the elite. A banker’s message to Epstein is racist and reductive Here is an email that should bring shame to Jes Staley: you want to know why we are not São Paolo, watch the TV adds on the Superbowl. Its all about hip blacks in hip cars with white women. The group that should be in the streets, has been bought off. By Jay Z Continue reading...
We just covered the 10 Best Stocks to Buy According to AI Bull Brad Gerstner. Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) ranks #10 (see the 5 Best Stocks to Buy According to AI Bull Brad Gerstner). Altimeter Capital’s Stake: $162,537,770 Wall Street’s fears about Alphabet’s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) bread and butter (search and ads) haven’t proven to be true so far. […]
We just covered the 10 Best Stocks to Buy According to AI Bull Brad Gerstner. Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) ranks #10 (see the 5 Best Stocks to Buy According to AI Bull Brad Gerstner). Altimeter Capital’s Stake: $162,537,770 Wall Street’s fears about Alphabet’s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) bread and butter (search and ads) haven’t proven to be true so far. […]
Washington and Tehran will have to make compromises and the current deadline must be extended. But with the will there’s clearly a way The failure of the Islamabad talks to end the US-Israel war on Iran was hardly surprising, given the stark differences between Washington’s 15-point proposal and Tehran’s 10-point equivalent. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA ), which capped Iran’...
Washington and Tehran will have to make compromises and the current deadline must be extended. But with the will there’s clearly a way The failure of the Islamabad talks to end the US-Israel war on Iran was hardly surprising, given the stark differences between Washington’s 15-point proposal and Tehran’s 10-point equivalent. The 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA ), which capped Iran’s uranium enrichment, took more than two years to negotiate, and its roots actually reach back to 2003 . The US vice-president, JD Vance, spent less than a full day in Islamabad for negotiations that included the nuclear question and several others. The surprise was Vance’s explanation for the failure – that Iran rejected the terms presented by the US. The American side was not in a position to dictate terms because Iran stood firm when the 8 April ceasefire took effect. But Vance seemed to believe, as does his boss Donald Trump, that the Iranians had been defeated and the US didn’t have to budge. Rajan Menon is professor emeritus of international relations at Powell School, City University of New York, and senior research fellow at Columbia University’s Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies Continue reading...